Riser for bubble cap trays



June 17, 1947.

H. C. GLITSCH RISER FOR BUBBLE CAP TRAYS Filed May 26, 1945 Patented June 17, 1947 RISER FOR. BUBBLE CAP TRAYS Hans C. Glitsch, Dallas, Tex., assignor, by mesne assignments, to Glitsch Engineering Company, Dallas, Tex., a partnership Application May 26, 1945, Serial No. 595,981

3 Claims. 1

This invention relates to new and useful improvements in risers for bubble-cap trays.

The invention has particularly to do with the cylindrical risers which are used to support the bubble-caps and permit the passage of fluids through the trays and one object of the invention is to provide an improved riser of simple construction which may be mounted in the tray in a simple and efficient manner.

A particular object of the invention is to provide an improved riser of cylindrical form having its bottom or lower end arranged to be expanded and secured in the floor of the tray in a new and novel manner.

Another object of the invention is to provide an improved riser together with unique means of fastening the riser in the tray in a simple and inexpensive manner, whereby a fluidtight seal therebetween is obtained.

A construction designed to carry out the invention will be hereinafter described together with other features of the invention.

The invention will be more readily understood from a. reading of the following specification and by reference to the accompanying drawing, wherein an example of the invention is shown, and wherein:

Fig. 1 is an elevation of a riser constructed in accordance with the invention and ready to be inserted in the floor section of a bubble tray,

Fig. 2 is a transverse, sectional view showing the riser secured in the floor section of a bubble tray,

Fig. 3 is a transverse, sectional view of a modified form and showing a bubble cap in position on the riser,

Fig. 4 is a horizontal cross-sectional view taken on the line 4-4 of Fig, 2, and

Fig. 5 is a partial sectional view of still another modification of the invention.

This application is a continuation-in-part of my co-pending application filed May 15, 1944, Serial No. 535,612.

In the drawing, the numeral I0 designates a bubble-cap riser which is substantially cylindrical and of uniform diameter. In making the riser, a strip of metal is rolled or otherwise formed to provide the cylinder, leaving a slight gap ll between the adjacent edges of said strip. A longitudinal weld I2 is applied to this gap so as to overflow on the outer surface of the riser and not overflow on the inner surface thereof.

An important feature of the invention is terminating the weld I2 short of the bottom of the riser so as to leave an expansible skirt indicated generally by the numeral I3.

The floor I4 of the bubble tray is provided with a plurality of openings as is customary and one of these openings is indicated at I5. In the construction under discussion, the opening in the floor is initially made of such diameter that the marginal material may be extruded upwardly to form an annular surrounding collar I6 having an internal diameter of such amplitude as to snugly receive the riser I0 as is shown in Fig. 2. The collar I6 may be formed by a swaging or pressing operation and it is desirable that the inner lower bend of the collar indicated at ll be rounded and smoothed. The riser is driven into the opening I5 so as to pass upwardly through the collar I6 until the lower edge of the riser is immediately below the bottom of the sheet I4. With the riser in this position, any suitable means is employed to expand the apron I3 into fiuidtight contact with the opening I5 and the inner surface of the collar Hi. This will provide a frictional engagement which will be suflicient to prevent the leakage of fluid between the collar and. the riser or between the floor and the riser. However, to assure a rigid mounting of the riser, spaced welds I8 are provided between the top of the collar and the outer surface of the riser, one of these welds being placed at the bottom of the weld I2 and at the top of the open portion of the gap I I, whereby leakage at this oint is prevented. This fastening or mounting of the riser is simple and comparatively inexpensive and may be expeditiously carried out. No bolts or other fastening devices are employed. If it should become necessary to replace the riser, the welds I8 can be dissolved and the riser driven downwardly and out of the floor.

In Fig. 3, I have shown another form of mounting in which the collar I6 is extruded downwardly from the floor I4. In this form it will be necessary to give the inner periphery of the collar and the opening I5, a curvature or flare indicated generally at I9, so that the skirt l3 may be expanded into intimate contact'therewith in order to form a fiuidtight joint. The riser is fastened by tack welds 20 at spaced intervals at the top of the opening I5.

In Fig. 5, I have illustrated another form of fastening the riser. It is obvious that many expedients may be employed in fastening or holding the riser against displacement. In this form, lugs or fingers 2| are upset outwardly from the wall of the riser just above the skirt I3 so as to rest upon the upper edge of the collar I6 or upon the floor I4 if used in connection with the form shown in Fig. 3. These lugs are spaced similarly to the welds I8. In forming the lugs, it is desirable t onlyslightly upset the same so that a portio of the metal will remain in the opening 22 so as to partially close the same and obstruct the escape of fluids.

In Fig. 3, I have shown a bubble-cap 23 mounted on top of the riser merely for the purpose of illustration. It is obvious that many types of caps could be employed and the particular manner of fastening the cap is unessen ial.

It is pointed out that by reaso; of the expansible skirt, this portion of the riser may be swaged or expanded outwardly so 'as to form a very tight engagement with the floor sheet M. Where the collar .depends as does the collar IS in Fig. 3, the swaging of the skirt l3 may even additionally swage said collar and thereby assure a tighter seal.

The riser is preferably made of stainless steel which is relatively expensive metal when compared to sheet steel. By rolling each riser separately, it is possible to use scrap metal and this greatly reduces the cost of the riser. It is quite difficult and impractical to roll or form a bead in a small, stainless steel riser, which may have a diameter of three inches. In rolling the riser, the vertical gap l l is left, but by terminating the weld l2 above the lower end, the skirt l3 or bot- ,tom portion of the riser may be bent outwardly without unduly stretching the metal and rupturing it. While it is impractical to form a bead, the lugs 2| may be upset or extended outwardly without impairing the riser. The vertical opening or slot at the lower end of the weld [2 permits both expansion and retraction and thus the riser may be readily driven into an undersized openmg.

The foregoing description of the invention is explanatory thereof and various changes in the size, shape and materials, as well as in the details of the illustrated construction may .be made, within the scope of the appended claims, without departing from the spirit of the invention.

What I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent is: I

1. The combination of a bubble tray floor having at least one circular opening surrounded by a collar of annular form and having a rounded edge on the inner portion of its annulus, a sheet metal riser member having a vertical gap extending from its top to its bottom, a weld closing said gap from its top downwardly and terminating short of the lower end of the gap, and a split annular skirt at the lower end of the member through which the gap extends, said skirt being expanded outwardly in fluid-tight contact with the rounded annulus.

2. The combination set forth in claim 1, and means secured tothe riser member coacting with the skirt to hold said member against vertical displacement.

3. The combination set forth in claim 1, and spaced external projections on the riser member overhanging and engaging the collar for holding said member against downward displacement.

-: HANS C. GLITSCH.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,876,179 Tindall Sept. 6, 1932 2,067,945 Peters Jan. 19, 193'! 1,965,549 Holmes et al July 3,1934 2,175,360 Pefi Oct. 10, 1939 

